The power of kindness

Kindness is the cornerstone of human existence.

- JUDY JOHNSON

All of us face various challenges in life. Recurring challenges can make some people despondent and depressed. It need not be so. Instead of being overwhelmed by problems, we can overcome them, or at least remain unaffected, by learning to deal with them in such a manner that they leave us wiser and stronger. Adopting some principles in life helps in this.

The first principle is to accept and learn to live with what we cannot control or change. A lot many happenings in the world are beyond our control, and getting worked up over them does not help. Some of the events may be truly distressing, but when we are in no position to influence them, it is better to recognize them as a reflection of the current state of the world and not allow our mind to be disturbed. We can keep our outlook positive, with good wishes for all concerned. That may be easy to do when we are not personally affected by events, but when it comes to our own life, a major cause of sorrow are unhappy memories of past experiences. Coming to terms with the past is necessary to have a strong footing, emotionally, and to be able to move forward in life. The past cannot be changed, so it is wise to accept it for what it was and remember that was a different time - the present is not the same and I can choose to do better now. It is crucial to put the past behind us, otherwise we pointlessly expend our time and energy agonizing over it, which leaves the mind disturbed and weak. The mind is strong when it is calm, and that is when it is able to make the right decisions.